Fare collection apparatus



June 1956 A. M. GORDON ET AL 2,750,106

FARE COLLECTION APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21 1951 jrwerzions' fllexaruierff. 607120 flarr ,6 Miller ,3 J? 5%) .5.

June 12, 1956 M. GORDON ET AL 2,750,106

FARE COLLECTION APPARATUS Filed March 21, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizz/67650715 -fllezand'er/! 6'0762076 flarr ,B. Miller June 12, 1956 M. GORDON ETAL 2,750,106

' 'FARE COLLECTION APPARATUS Filed March 21, 1951 Sheets-Sheet 5 Milk jrzverzians' /;5 Zexander ff. fiardorv fla r ,5, MZZer United States Patent Warwick, R. L, assignors to Max L. Grant, Provid'ence, R. I.

Application March'21, 1951, Serial N0. 216,704 8 Claims. (Cl. 232-'44) This invention pertains to fare collection apparatus such for example, as is commonly employed in public transportation systems for receiving passengers fares, and relates more particularly tocoin diverting means for shunting coins deposited in the fare box proper into the magazine of a change-making device.

For many years the cash fares on public transportation systems were in even multiples of a five-cent piece and the usual change-making device comprised a magazine or a series of magazines each provided with an ejector by means of which one' coin at a time could be delivered from a selected magazine intothe hand of an operator. So long as the usual unit of fare was a five-cent piece the number of required operations of the coin ejector was not excessive and the time consumed in making change was within reasonable limits. However, in recent years, with transportation fares progressively increasing by intervals of one cent or more, and the increasing use of transfers for which acharge is made, thenecessary delivery of a plurality of one-cent pieces in making change has become very common, To facilitate change making, 'involving the delivery of one-cent pieces, change-making apparatus has been devised having provision for simultaneously ejecting from a given magazine a predetermined number of like coins asa unit, for instance in some change-making apparatus one magazine may be arranged toeject five one-cent pieces as aunit while another magazine may be arranged to eject two one-cent pieces as a unit, the latter being desirable, for instance, when selling transfers atthree cents each. In such a coin changer there would be two magazines for one-cent pieces, but

since five coins are ejected at one time from one of these magazineswhil'e only two are ejected at one time from the other, the first magazine tends to become depleted much more rapidly than the second, assuming that both magazines receive coins at the same rate.

customarily, in fare collection apparatus, some provision is made for counting the coins as they pass through the fare box proper and for assorting and delivering them into the several magazines of the change-making device. The present invention pertains to such delivery means and has for its principal object the provision of means whereby coins of like denomination will be delivered, in dilferent proportions, into two or more magazines of the coin-changing device, A further object is to provide means for delivering coins of a given denomination, in different ratio, for reception by two or more magazines of a coin changer, regardless of whether one or more of said magazine's be partially full or empty and for diverting coins intended for a given magazine, if the latter be full, into another magazine or an overflow container. A further object is to provide such a coin-diverting means which is simple and durable in construction, easy and relatively cheap to manufacture and which is devoid of relatively moving parts. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Patented June 12, 1956 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation showing the lower portion of coin-collecting apparatus of the type to which the present invention relates;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section, to larger scale than Fig. 1, on the line 2-2 of the latter figure;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the coin diverter of the present invention removed from the coin-collecting apparatus and with its front wall omitted;

Fig. 3a is a fragmentary front elevation, to larger scale than Fig. 3, illustrating the action of the device in directing coins into adjacent magazines;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are vertical sections on the lines 6-6, 77, 88, 9 -9 and 1010 respectively of'Fig. 3;

Fig. 6a is a section similar to Fig. 6, but showing a portion of the coin guide and illustrating the path of coins in entering certain of the magazines; and

Fig. 7a is a section similar to Fig. 7, but showing a portion of the coin guiding means and illustrating the action of the device in dividing coins between two adjacent magazines.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the lower portion of coin-collecting apparatus having the coin diverter of the present invention incorporated therein.

Referring to Fig. 2, the coindiverter 15 of the present invention is shown as installed in the coin-collecting apparatus 10 at a point above the chamber 11 which receives the change-making and delivery device, including a plurality of magazines, each designed to hold a stack of coins, two of these magazines 1-3 and 14 (Fig, 1) being intended toreceive coins, for example one-cent pieces, of the same denomination. Above the diverter device 15 the coin-collecting apparatus comprises a part 16 within which is housed coin-separating means (not here illustrated) designed to separate coins of different denominations and todeliver them into the diverting device 15. The

.front wall of the apparatus is also provided with by means of which it may be manipulated, the hinge 19 having springs H-H which normally hold the front wall or door 18 in the vertical operative position. Desirably this front wall or door 18 is of glass or other transparent material so that the passage of coins through the diverter may be observed.

The diverter proper, aside from the front wall or door 18, preferably consists of a unitary casting 21 (Fig. 5) for example, of aluminum or a plastic, having a bottom wall through which extend apertures or coin-delivery wells 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 respectively, these wells being axially aligned with the several magazine tubes of the coindelivery device, the wells 23' and 24 registering with the magazine tubes 13 and 14. The diverter 15 has an integralrear wall 27 (Fig. 6) which is substantially vertical at its lower portion but which is provided at its upper part with a rearwardly and upwardly inclined lip 28, the upper edge of which contacts the lower part 2 (Figs. 6a and 7a) of a coin-guiding chute having the downwardly and forwardly inclined wall 30 down which the coins slide on their way from the coin assorting mechanism to the diverter of the present invention, As illustrated in Figs. 6a and 7a, the surface 30 inclines downwardly and forwardly at an angle of approximately 60 to the vertical.

walls 31 to 35 inclusive being substantially vertical, but as illustrated in Fig. 3 the wall 34 comprises an inclined portion 36 which slopes so as to overhang the well 24 and with an inclination generally parallel to that of the floor 43 hereafter described.

The bottoms 40, 41 and 42 of each of the chambers 36, 37 and 39 are substantially horizontal but the bottom of the chamber 38 comprises an inclined floor 43, here shown as upwardly convex, extending from the point 44 down to the point 45 where it merges with a substantially horizontal portion of the floor. The coin-delivery well 23 extends downwardly from the sloping floor 43 of the chamber 38 while the coin delivery well 24 extends downwardly from the horizontal portion of the floor of the chamber 38, both of these wells 23 and 24 receiving coins from the same chamber 38. The entrance to this chamber 38 is of a width from right to left greater than the diameter of the coins which it is to receive, and the vertical plane LL (Fig. 3a) which is intermediate the side walls 34 and 35 of the chamber 38 at its top, intersects the well 23 but is eccentric to the latter, lying intermediate the axes of the wells 23 and 24.

The front and rear walls 18 and 27 are substantially vertical, while the inner surface of the wall 35 of chamber 38 (Fig. 3a) inclines upwardly from the bottom and away from the vertical by an angle a of about 10. The inner surfaces of both the rear wall 27 (Fig. 7a) and the end wall 35 (Fig. 3a) are substantially tangent to the curved surface defining the well 23 in the inclined bottom. The forward wall 18 (Fig. 6a) is, however, offset forwardly from the well, leaving a ledge 1, horizontal from front to back, but inclined (Fig. from end to end, and having the same curvature and inclination as the floor 43. The radius of curvature of the floor 43 is about three inches. The walls 31 to 35 inclusive are herein variously referred to as side walls or end walls.

The upper surface 47 of the lip 28 of the rear wall 27 of the diverter in the chambers 36, 37 and 39 slopes downwardly with substantially the same slope as the surface 30 along which coins slide in approaching the diverter. This sloping wall 47 is substatnially flat so that coins C (Fig. 6a), in passing from the surface 30 to the surface 47, are not substantially changed in direction of motion and slide off of the surface 47 in a position substantially as shown at C (Fig. 6a) and then, following a normal free trajectory, enter the coin-discharge well 22 in the position shown at C On the other hand, the lip 28 of the rear wall 27 of the diverter, which is opposite the chamber 38, is provided with a forward surface 48 (Fig. 7a) which is upwardly convex and whose slope at the point at which a coin sliding down the surface 30 contacts the surface 48 is substantially less than that of the surface 30; thus, for example, a coin K (Fig. 7a) contacting the surface 48 is deflected so that it leaves the surface 48 in somewhat the position shown at K The surface 48 has a radius of curvature of about two inches and merges with the vertical portion of the rear wall 27 at about one-half inch above the ledge I when measured along the line LL. In other words, the free trajectory of the coin is flattened as compared with that of coin C (Fig. 6a) so that its component of horizontal motion is relatively increased and the coin continues across the chamber and strikes the inner surface of the front wall or door 18, as indicated at K (Fig. 7a). The result is that the coin bounces from the inner surface of the front wall 18 and may take a position such as indicated at K (Fig. 7a) in leaving the wall 18, its forward momentum being lost so that it now falls down into the delivery well 23.

In striking the wall 18 the coins tend to roll in one direction or the other according to the direction of rotation which they may have as they leave the curved surface 48. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 3a, a coin O which enters the chamber 38 in a position to engage the inner surface of the wall 34, may be caused, by such contact of its edge with the wall 34, to rotate counterclockwise and in striking the wall 18, such rotation may cause it to travel to the left so that it falls into the well 23. On the other hand, a coin O striking the inclined wall 35 may be set into clockwise rotation and when it hits the wall 18, it may thus be caused to travel to the right, and passing beneath the overhanging wall 46 it may enter the delivery well 24. Likewise a coin midway between the walls 34 and 35 (as indicated at 0 may strike the wall 18 without tendency to rotate in one direction or the other and this coin may fall directly down into the well 23 or it may strike the wall 18 with sufiicient force so that it bounces far enough to engage the lower part of the curved wall 48 and thus to be deflected again so as to fall beneath the inclined wall 46. If the coin, upon striking the wall 18, loses forward motion but does not bounce back into contact with the rear wall 27, it will quite likely slide down onto the ledge I. If the coin has no rotational movement or has clockwise rotation, it will then very likely roll laterally into the well 24. If it has counterclockwise rotation, it will in all probability fall directly into the well 23.

While the exact path of coins thus falling into the chamber 38 is not definitely known, the arrangement of the parts above described is such that more than half of the coins which are delivered into the upper part of the chamber 38 move to the right and are delivered through the delivery well 24, the remaining coins entering the well 23. Thus, by the action of this diverter, a greater number of coins of the same denomination which enter the chamber 38 are deposited in the magazine tube 14 than in the tube 13. Extended tests have shown that with this arrangement, coins will be deposited in the magazine 14 in a ratio of approximately 2:1 as compared with those deposited in the magazine 13.

While in the present arrangement, the chamber 38 alone has been shown as communicating with two coindelivery wells, it is obvious that other of the chambers 36, 37 or 39 may likewise be arranged to deliver coins of the same denomination to two delivery wells.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention has herein been illustrated by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications whereby equivalent results are obtained and which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In coin-diverting means of the class described, means defining a chamber having spaced, substantially vertical walls and having a floor provided with spaced discharge wells, both wells being at all times in free communication with said chamber to receive coins from the latter, guide means defining a downwardly inclined coin path, wider than the diameter of the coin, along which coins may slide downwardly into the upper part of said chamber, said coin path terminating adjacent to one of said walls of the chamber, the center line of said path being in a plane intermediate the axes of the discharge wells but passing through one of said wells.

2. In coin-diverting means of the class described, means defining a chamber having spaced, substantially vertical walls and having a floor provided with spaced discharge wells, the floor of the chamber sloping downwardly from one well toward the other so that the top of one well is nearer to the top of the chamber than is the top of the other well, both wells being at all times in free communication with said chamber to receive coins from the latter, glide means defining a downwardly inclined coin path, wider than the diameter of the coin, along which coins may slide downwardly into the upper part of said chamber, said path terminating adjacent to one of said walls of the chamber, the center line of said path being in a vertical plane intermediate the axes of the discharge wells but which intersects that well whose top is at the higher elevation.

egvsogres 3 In coin-diverting means of the class described, in combination, means defining achamber having" substantially vertical front and rear walls, a floor and end Walls, one end wall being substantially vertical, the floor comprising a portion which slopes downwardly from said latter end wall, the floor also comprising a substantially horizontal portion adjacent to the opposite end wall, the latter end wall comprising a part which overhangs the horizontal portion of the floor and which is substantially parallel to the sloping part of the floor, the floor having spaced discharge wells, one passing through the sloping portion of the floor and the other through the horizontal portion of the floor, both wells being at all times in free communication with said chamber to receive coins from the latter, and guide means defining a coin path along which coins may slide downwardly into the upper part of said chamber, the longitudinal center line of said coin path being in a vertical plane which is eccentric to the axis of the well in the sloping part of the floor but which passes through said well.

4. In coin-diverting means of the class described, in combination, means defining a chamber having substantially vertical front and rear walls, a floor and end walls, one end wall being substantially vertical, the floor comprising a portion which slopes downwardly from said latter end wall, the floor also comprising a substantially horizontal portion adjacent to the opposite end wall, the latter end wall overhanging the horizontal portion of the floor and comprising a portion which is substantially parallel to the sloping part of the floor, the floor having spaced discharge wells, one passing through the sloping portion of the floor and the other through the horizontal portion of the floor, both wells being at all times in free communication with said chamber to receive coins from the latter, guide means defining a coin path along which coins may slide downwardly into the upper part of said chamber, the longitudinal center line of said coin path being in a vertical plane which is intermediate the axes of the wells, but which is nearer to the axis of the well in the sloping part of the floor than to the axis of the other well.

5. In coin-diverting means of the class described, in combination, means defining a chamber having substantially vertical front and rear walls, a floor and end walls, one end wall being substantially vertical, the floor comprising a portion which slopes downwardly from said latter end wall, the floor also comprising a substantially horizontal portion adjacent to the opposite end wall, the latter end wall overhanging the horizontal portion of the floor and comprising a portion which is substantially parallel to the sloping part of the floor, the floor having spaced discharge wells, one passing through the sloping portion of the floor and the other through the horizontal portion of the floor, both wells being at all times in free communication with said chamber to receive coins from the latter, guide means defining a coin path along which coins may slide downwardly into the upper part of said chamber, the longitudinal center line of said coin path being in a vertical plane which transects the sloping part of the floor, and deflector means at the lower end of said path operative to impart an increased horizontal component to the motion of a coin as the latter enters the chamber.

6. In coin-diverting means of the class described, in combination, means defining a chamber having substantially vertical front and rear walls, a floor and end walls, one end wall being substantially vertical, the floor comprising a portion which slopes downwardly from said latter end wall, the floor also comprising a substantially horizontal portion adjacent to the opposite end wall, the floor having spaced discharge wells, one passing through the sloping portion of the floor and the other down through the horizontal portion of the floor, both wells being at all times in free communication with said chamber to receive coins from the latter, guide means defining a coin path along which coins may slide downwardly into the upper part of said chamber, the longitudinal center line of said coin path being in a plane which is perpendicular to the side walls of the chamber and which is eccentricto the axis of that well which is in the sloping part of the floor, and deflector means at the lower end of the coin path operative to increase the horizontal component of the trajectory of the coin as the latter enters the chamber, whereby the coin tends to jump across the well in the sloping part of the floor and to contact the opposite wall of the chamber at a point above the top of said well.

7. In coin-diverting means of the class described, in combination, means defining a chamber having front and rear walls, a floor and end walls, the floor comprising inclined and substantially horizontal portion, the inclined portion sloping downwardly from one end wall to said horizontal portion, the floor having spaced discharge wells, one passing through the inclined portion of the floor and the other through the horizontal portion of the floor, the inner surface of that end wall which is adjacent to the inclined portion of the floor being substantially tangent to the well and inclined upwardly therefrom at about 10 from the vertical, the rear wall of the chamber also being substantially tangent to the well, and the forward one of said walls being oflset from the well so as to provide a ledge between it and the well in the inclined portion of the floor, both wells being at all times in free communication with said chamber to receive coins from the latter, guide means defining a coin path along which coins may slide downwardly into the upper portion of the chamber, the rear wall of the chamber at the lower end of the coin path having a convexly curved deflecting surface with which a coin contacts just as it enters the chamber, whereby the trajectory of the coin is flattened so that it tends to cross the chamber and contact the opposite wall of the latter.

8. In coin-diverting means of the class described, in combination, means defining a chamber having front and rear walls, a floor and end walls, the floor comprising inclined and substantially horizontal portions, the inclined portion sloping downwardly from one end wall to said horizontal portion, the floor having spaced discharge wells, one opening through the inclined portion of the floor and the other through the horizontal portion of the floor, both wells being at all times in free communication with said chamber to receive coins from the latter, guide means situated above the rear one of the side walls and inclined toward the front one of the side walls defining a coin path along which coins may slide downwardly into the upper part of said chamber, said guide means terminating at the upper end of said rear wall, said rear wall of the chamber at the lower end of the coin path having a deflecting surface inclined toward the forward wall of lesser inclination than the coin path with which a coin contacts just as it enters the chamber, whereby the trajectory of the coin is flattened so that it tends to cross the chamber and contact the forward wall of the latter, and a ledge projecting inwardly from the forward wall between the well in the inclined portion of the bottom and the forward wall, and being situated opposite and below the inclined portion of the rear wall, and having the same inclination as the sloping bottom portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 522,310 Armitage July 3, 1894 698,984 Lynes Apr. 29, 1902 860,960 Broga July 23, 1907 957,135 Asbury May 3, 1910 (Other references on following page) Thompson Mar. 27, 1923 8 Murray June 24, 1924 Smith Feb. 22, 1927 Wilson July 7, 1931 Smith May 9, 1933 Maitland June 1, 1937 McDerrnott Jan. 27, 1942 

